Mary Jane Singleton

Mary Jane Singleton
Jane Denomme
Born	c. 1874 or 1875
Years in Thunder Bay	at least 1901

Mary Jane Singleton (also Jane Denomme; born c. 1874 or 1875) was enumerated on the Fort William Band schedule of the 1901 Census of Canada as the wife of Joseph Singleton.

The return, taken as of 31 March 1901, enters her as Mary Jane, age 26, in family 373 on Book #2, page 11 (LAC reel T-6554, image 823). Age 26 at last birthday implies a birth about 1874 or 1875. The schedule has no birth-date column. The same household includes a step-daughter entered as Denomme, age 3, and an adopted child, Joseph S. Howard, age 12.

The Ontario marriage affidavit for Clara Singleton and George Cyrette, 16 December 1924 at the Fort William Mission, names the maiden name of the bride's mother as Jane Denomme and the bride's father as Joseph Singleton. Clara, age 17½ (born about the middle of 1907), was living at and was born on the Mission Reserve. The identification of Jane Denomme with this Mary Jane, wife of Joseph Singleton of the Fort William / Mission Reserve, is very strong. Jane is a usual short form of Mary Jane; the 1901 household already includes a step-daughter entered under the surname Denomme, which matches the maiden name written in 1924; a woman born about 1874 or 1875 would have been about 32 when Clara was born and about 49 or 50 in 1924; and no second Joseph Singleton and Jane Denomme couple is known on the Mission Reserve.